Match-holder.



No; 689,053. Patented Dec. l7, I90l. A. T. ANDERSON &. C. F. HJERPE. MATCH HOLDER,

(Application filed Apr. 2, 1901.) (No Model.)

I I um M A Y8 w: uofims PETERS 00.. wow-Limo WASHINGTON, o. c,

UNITED STATES rnrcn.

PATENT ANTON T. ANDERSON AND CARL F. HJERPE, OF JAMESTOVVN, NEl/V YORK.

MATCH-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 689,053, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed April 12,1901. Serial No. 55,483. (No model!) 1'0 ctZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANTON '1. ANDERSON and CARL F. I-IJERPE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match-Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v H

The object of thisinvention is to provide a novel simple match-holder adapted to hang uponan upright support and capable of holding a considerable number of matches, which may be convenientlyand safely removed from the holder at its lower end one at a time or in greater number, if desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicat-e corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front view of the match-holder in upright position, showing a number of matches heldtherein. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a partly-sectional front view of the match-holder, showing interior details of construction.

In the drawings, which show the construction and use of the improvement, 10 indicates the back piece of the holder, which may with advantage be cut from sheet metal, such as sheet-tin, and the edge thereof may have any ornamental form preferred, perforations Ct.

being formed therein near the upper and lower end of the back piece for the reception of nails or screws used to hold the device upright upon a wall or the like at a point where matches are to be supplied for use.

A front wall 11 and two parallel side walls 12 are formed of one piece of sheet metal by bending the material at two points, so as to turn the side walls rearwardly from the front wall, said side walls being parallel and sufficiently spaced apart to permit them to receive between them matches disposed crosswise of the back piece and front wall of the holder. Tongues are formed on the free rear edges of the side walls 12, and said tongues Z) pass through mating slits in the back piece 10 at suitable points, said tongues after insertion, until the edges they are projected from have contact with the back piece, being bent laterally, which secures the front wall and side walls upon the back piece in a substantial manner. The front wall 11 may have a plurality of spaced slots 0 cut therein to render said wall light and expose matches held in the receptacle, so that the number contained therein may be seen.

' A bottom-wall 13, formed of resilient sheet metal, is loosely fitted within the spa-cc bounded by the back piece 10, front wall 11, and side walls 12, said bottom piece having sufficient length to permit the upper portion thereof'to be secured upon the back piece with tongues d, that project from'the bottom piece and pass through slits in the hack piece,

whereon-they are clenched by bending them laterally, as indicated in Fig. 2. V

The free lower portion of the bottom piece 13 is divided into four spring-fingers 13 13 as shown in Fig. 3, said division being effected by slitting the plate at two points equally distant from the side edges thereof, as at d d, and cutting a notch-e at the transverse center of the plate, a shorter slit 61 extending upward from the center of the seallop, as shown in Fig.

The intermediate resilient fingers 13*, defined by the slits d and scalloped notch e, are extended somewhat lower than the fingers 13 at the side edges of the bottom plate, and all of said fingers are curved downward and for ward, so as to have contact at their free ends upon the inner surface of the front wall 11, which is also scalloped at the transverse center of its lower edge, as is clearly shown at e in Figs. 1 and 2.

Upon each side of the match-receptacle a match-igniter 14 is formed or secured on the back piece 10, and consists of an upright plate suitably roughened on the surface and provided with guide-ribs at the sides, which serve to prevent the match that is drawn down while in contact with either of the igniters from leaving it at either side, the frictional contact of the head of the match with the roughened surface effecting its ignition in an obvious manner. V

To adapt the improved match-holder for service, assuming that it is in fixed position,

as already explained, the holder is furnished with a supply of matches A, introduced through the open upper end of the receptacle. The matches are disposed crosswise of the holder, and the lower ones rest upon the downwardly and forwardly inclined resilient bottom plate 13, the elasticity of which isinsured by cutting its lower portion into the four fingers 13 13", as before mentioned, and it will be seen in. Fig. 1 that the middle portions of the matches held opposite the scalloped notches in the front plate 11 and bottom wall 13 are freely exposed.

To remove a match from the holder, the lowermost one is gripped at its middle with the thumb and finger, which may be freely introduced into the notches e e, where the matches are exposed. A gentle pull on the match in a downward direction will release it from the spring-fingers 13, and as the fingers at the side edges of the bottom wall 13 are shorter than the intermediate ones it will be evident that they will first have contact with the inner surface of the front wall 11, and thus be adapted to hold the matches not gripped for removal from dropping down out of the holder while the single match is being withdrawn therefrom. The relative position of the igniters 14 enables the convenient ignition of a match, as it is so gripped when removed from the holder astov be ready for scratching upon the igniter.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A match-holder,comprisingafour-walled box adapted to hang upright, a resilient bottom of sheet metal divided into a plurality of spring-fingers in its lower portion, said fingers extending forwardly and at their lower .ends all contacting normally with the front wall of the box, and means to expose the matches held in the box at their centers of length, for separate removal by a downward .pull which releases the match from the fingers, some of said fingers terminating at their lower ends above the others and preventing the bulk of the matches from falling out of the box.

2. A match-holder, comprising a box open at the top, slotted in the front wall for exposure of matches held therein, and scalloped in the lower edge of said front wall, a resilient bottom of sheet metal slotted to divide it into a plurality of spring-fingers bearing at their free ends against the front wall, and having a scalloped notch at its transverse center opposite the scallop in the front wall, some of the spring-fingers having greater length than the others to prevent the escape of the bulk of the matches from the bottom of the box upon the removal of one or more matches therefrom bya downward pull on said match or matches.

3. A holder for matches, having an outlet for the matches, a plate adjacent thereto, and spring match-retainers adjacent to the outlet to regulate the escape of the matches and bearing normally at their free ends against said plate, said retainers acting at different distances from the outlet, whereby the retainers will bear successively on a match being withdrawn.

4. A holder for matches comprising the box having a front plate and a back plate, and provided with the bottom plate secured at its upper edge to the back plate and curving thence forward to the front plate and bearing at its lower end against the said front plate, said front end being divided into tongues, some of which bear edgewise against the front plate, and others of which are provided with short depending extensions, which bear fiatwise against the front plate, all substantially as set forth.

5. A match-holder having a holder-box and a bottom composed of a plate of metal curving forwardly and downwardly toward one edge and slitted from its lower edge forming tongues and having said tongues of different lengths whereby they may bear successively on a match when it is withdrawn, substantially as set forth;

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON T. ANDERSON. CARL F. HJERPE.

Witnesses:

OLOF A. OLSON, OsoAR PETERSON. 

